Part 19

015:011 It is not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles him; but it is what comes out of his mouth--that* defiles a man."

015:012 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were greatly shocked when they heard those words?"

015:013 "Every plant," He replied, "which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

015:014 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind; and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into some pit."

015:015 "Explain to us this figurative language," said Peter.

015:016 "Are even you," He answered, "still without intellingence?

015:017 Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is afterwards ejected from the body?

015:018 But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile the man.

015:019 For out of the heart proceed wicked thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, impiety of speech.

015:020 These are the things which defile the man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile."

015:021 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew into the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon.

015:022 Here a Canaanitish woman of the district came out and persistently cried out, "Sir, Son of David, pity me; my daughter is cruelly harassed by a demon."

015:023 But He answered her not a word. Then the disciples interposed, and begged Him, saying, "Send her away because she keeps crying behind us."

015:024 "I have only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," He replied.

015:025 Then she came and threw herself at His feet and entreated Him. "O Sir, help me," she said.

015:026 "It is not right," He said, "to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

015:027 "Be it so, Sir," she said, "for even the dogs eat the scraps which fall from their masters' tables."

015:028 "O woman," replied Jesus, "great is your faith: be it done to you as you desire." And from that moment her daughter was restored to health.

015:029 Again, moving thence, Jesus went along by the Lake of Galilee; and ascending the hill, He sat down there.

015:030 Soon great crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were crippled in feet or hands, blind or dumb, and many besides, and they hastened to lay them at His feet. And He cured them,

015:031 so that the people were amazed to see the dumb speaking, the maimed with their hands perfect, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they gave the glory to the God of Israel.

015:032 But Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, "My heart yearns over this mass of people, for it is now the third day that they have been with me and they have nothing to eat. I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they should faint on the road."

015:033 "Where can we," asked the disciples, "get bread enough in this remote place to satisfy so vast a multitude?"

015:034 "How many loaves have you?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they said, "and a few small fish."

015:035 So He bade all the people sit down on the ground,

015:036 and He took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks He broke them up and then distributed them to the disciples, and they to the people.

015:037 And they all ate and were satisfied. The broken portions that remained over they took up--seven full hampers.

015:038 Those who ate were 4,000 adult men, without reckoning women and children.